We're from MSDN Magazine and we're here to help... MSDN Magazine Government Special Issue

MSDN Magazine - Government Special Issue of MSDN Magazine

Visit the MSDN Magazine Web site and you’ll see we’ve been a bit busier than usual of late. In addition to the regularly scheduled November issue, featuring guidance on ASP.NET Web API, MVVM development, and Office 365 and Visual Studio 2013, this month we published an extra issue of MSDN Magazine focused specifically on government application development. The MSDN Magazine Digital Government Issue shines a light on a dynamic and fast-growing sector of application development, and offers useful case-in-point solutions to real world development challenges.

In the wake of a near-disastrous government shutdown and the actually-disastrous HealthCare.gov Web site roll out, it would seem November might be an inopportune time to shine a light on government-focused app dev. In fact, the opposite is true. The recent challenges show just how vital mature and advanced app dev is to government operation, whether it’s preserving continuity of service during a shutdown or enabling the successful rollout of a massive and complex Web-based enrollment program.

The focus of this special issue isn’t on big ticket internal government development, but rather on enabling citizen-facing services. The articles explore the opportunities independent developers and contractors have to create value by tapping into a growing array of government services, resources and data stores. The issue also looks at ways that government entities—particularly at the local level—can benefit from savvy software development.

Tim Kulp’s “Engage Governments and Communities with Open311,” for example, shows how a Javascript-based Windows Store application lets citizens to interact with local government, reporting issues like a misbehaving stoplight or dangerous pothole from a phone or Web browser...

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I will not mention the ACA or related web sites... I will not.. oh, darn I already did... WELL in THAT case! :P

Actually, I think this is really kind of cool and the poor guys and gals doing work in this area really need all the help and support they can get (that's not snarky... can YOU imagine having Congress and the White House and all those agencies as your boss? The poor code slingers just don't have a chance... )